Signal.



No. 844,435. PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907. E. A. WOLF.

SIGNAL.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.27.190B.

. holding the signals in their adjusted position.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR A. WOLF, OF NERSTRAND, MINNESOTA.

SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

A li tion fil d August 27, 1906. Berial Nn. 332,282.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR A. Worn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nerstrand, in the county of Rice and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful im-- provements in signals, and more particularly to that class adapted to be used in connection. with rural-mail boxes; and my object is to provide means for operating the sgnals when mail is disposed into or removed from the box.

A further object is to provide means for A further object is to provide means for manually operatlng the said signals when desired.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings which are made a part of this application and in which I have shown my preferred form of device, Figure l is a side elevation of a mail-box, showing one of the signals secured thereto and said signal being shown elevated in full lines and lowered by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position of the signal when the I box is open. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of a mail-box, showing the signal secured thereto.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar refercnce-nunierals indicate corresponding parts throu hout the several views, indicates a maii bOX, such as is commonly used upon rural routes, and is provided at one end with a swinging door 2, said door being hinged at its lower end to one endof the box, and is provided at its upper end with a hooked member 3, which is adapted to enga e a keeper 4, secured to the up er end of the ox. The hooked member 3 an keeper 4 are provided with rcgisterin openings 5, throu h which may be disposed, when desired, a loc c. (Not shown.)

Secured to one end of the door 2 is an arm 6, said arm extending laterally from the door and be 'ond the edge of the box 1 and has pivotally mounted thereon a lever 7. Pivotally secured to one side of the box 1 is a l shaft 8, to the upper end of which is secured a signal-plate 9, while the lower end thereof is connected to the inner end of the lever T by means of a link 10.

The signal 9 is held in its adjusted position by means of a spring 11, one end of which secured to the shaft 8 above its pivot-point 12, while the lower end thereof is secured to the side of the box 1. The spring is so connected to the box and shaft that a tension will be exerted upon the shaft in whichever position the shaft may be disposed, and, as shown in F 1g. 1 of the drawings, the spring 11 will be dis oscd to the left of the pivot-point 12 when the signal is in its elevated position and to the right of the pivot-point when the signal is in its lowered position, so that the signal will be firmly held in whichever position it may be disposed. The downward movement of the shaft 8 is limited by means of a pin 13, secured to one side of the box 1, while the movement of the shaft in the opposite direction is controlled by the lever 7 and link 10. This signal is designed to be used to notify the carrier when there is mail in the box to be taken out by him, as when the patron places mail in the box for the carrier. After the patron places the mail in the box he closes the door 2 and depresses the free end of the lever 7, thereby disposing the signal 9 in its elevated position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, and the signal is held in this positlon by means of the sprin 11 until such time as the carrier opens the door 2, when the signal 9 will be lowered until the shaft 8 en gages the pin 13, as shown in Fig. 2 of the rawings and remains in this position until again set, as before described. By this construction it will be seen that it will be impossible for the carrier to leave the signal set, and by a casual glance the patron can see Whether or not the carrier has removed the mail from the box.

Secured to one sfdc of the door .3 is a slotted bar 24, through which is disposed a pocket-like holder 25, said holder being prel" erablyconstructed olshcot mctal and is adapted to receive money to pay for postage, thereby obviating the accidental his of money should the same be placed loosely within the box 1.

What I claim is- 1. A signal ol the class described comprising the combination with a mail-box having a door hinged thereto; of arms on said door and projecting laterally from each edge thereof, levers pivotally mounted upon said arms, signals pivotally secured to said box, means interposed between said signals and the levers to operate the same and springs secured at one end to the box and at the opposite end to said signals whereby said signals will be held in they adjusted position.

2. A signal of the class described comprising the combination with a mail-box having a swin 'ng door at one end thereof and arms integra with said swinging doors and extending laterally from the edges thereof; of levers pivotally mounted on sa d arms, signals pivotall; mounted upon said box, means to yieldingly secure said signals to said levers, s rings secured at their lower ends to sai box and at their opposite ends to said signals, said springs being so disposed that a tens .on will be exerted u on said sl nals when d..sposed either to t e right or eft of their respective pivot-points.

3. A signal of the class. described comprising the combination with a mail-box having a swinging door at one end thereof of an arm integral with said door; of a lever pivotally secured to said arm, a signal pivoted to said box, a link dis osed between the inner end of said lever an the lower end of said signal, whereby said signal may be raised or lowered by operating the lever, and a spring having one of its ends secured to said box and the opposite end to said signal, said s ring bein so disposed that a tension will e exerted upon the signal when disposed to the right or left of its pivot-point and means to limit the movement of said signal.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDGAR A. WOLF.

Witnesses:

C. J. HUSBY, HENRY OMSBERG. 

